Littlegiles: HA! Never would of thought of heels... that would be cruel. I am leaning towards flip flops but that might be just as cruel.

Hang10tiki: I know I heard the Godzilla roar as I was painting it.

Wendy: Well, I don't earn enough for health insurance even at my janitorial job LOL. You'd be amazed how low of pay most janitors get. Thanks for the compliments!

MM: HA HA HA!!!! I think it's the number 226, but I reversed the image. Hilarious bear joke...maybe I should put her in running shoes. I think its pretty clear she may be one of the only survivors at this point.

Probably paint more on it tomorrow (my next day off), I am having more fun than should be legal with this one.

Tentatively I will be going down to Coos Bay starting the 16th through the weekend (IF my work ever confirms getting that Friday off as they promised) to bring the original painting and the prints for the big re-opening hullabaloo. They need them a few weeks beforehand so they can get all the plans finalized. I'll of course take pictures of the trip.

Wendy: I'd like to go to Tiki Kon, but I will have to see how finances pan out. I am pretty sure I can probably make it for one day like I did last year, I'd like to see you and Dan was well. It's a bit of a drive but not too bad, I live up by Mt Hood.

Got more progress done on Zombzilla. First thing was filling in some of the skin tones, and I was determined to get a little more variety into those this time.

Then adding some high lights to the flesh tone to help show musculature, and adding beginning shadows.

The start of the background came next. I still need to work out the exact lighting, I want it to be sunset so there is back lighting, and just enough darkness for the neon sign. For now it is filled with a bright vibrant orange which I will tame down a bit later.

The thatch was done in a wet on wet technique, where I mixed paint colors right on the canvas in strokes to simulate the texture of thatching. I did this with the umbrellas as well. Then I added one of the other major light sources; the glass float light, and some beginning light bounce from it. I will be adding more texture layers for the thatching over this and adding more shadows.

Began working on the neon, but I think I need to research more how the glass tubes are held onto the backing signs. I fully realize if neon were smashed like this, the instant it cracked it would lose the gas that makes it glow, but I wanted it to be that dramatic moment of impact so I am going to make it half glow and half fizzling out.
So I decided to start on the skimpy wahine sarongs. These will have patterns on them like the reference photo. but for now I need to work out the dark and light in the wrinkles.

While I had the red and pink paint out, I worked on some of the gory exposed muscles on the ripped flesh of Zombzilla.

And, that's about where I stopped for the night. With the Blue Oyster Cult song running through my head...

I'm really liking that progress you have made on the painting. Fun stuff!

What part is goign to be the neon? I can see you have a destroyed sign and was just curious about it because I don't think you have ever shown us a close-up of that part of the painting. Love the idea of having some of it lit and some of it not...that moment of impact!

As always Mahalo for stopping by hiltiki and Wendy, always love reading the comments. You are always welcome in the Tiki Tiger hut.

Sorry about that Dale (yes, I just now noticed you have a name on your posts besides littlegiles... I am super observant). I guess it would have helped understand about the sign better if I put up a picture of it. The following picture is before I started to add the neon color (the words "Voodoo", some "pinstriping" around the edge of the sign, and the breaking zombie drink outline are supposed to be done in neon). The words "Vic's" and "zombie" are those deep 3D metal signs with single lightbulbs inside like "The Alabi" tiki lounge has here in Portland (or like you used to frequently see on carnival rides in the past).

It's all part of my ironic little joke of a zombie Godzilla attacking a tiki lounge known for it's zombie drinks. Originally I had other words on the sign right where the crack in the middle is, but when it came time to paint it the pencils were so faint I could not read it, nor could I remember what it was. I decided to go with the sort of broken "engrish" as part of the joke. To technically be a real sign it should probably read something like: "Voodoo Vic's Zombie LOUNGE", but I suppose it really doesn't matter it could just be an already destroyed part of the sign on the lower half where it was attached to the building before zombzilla knocked it off with a great sweep of his rotting tail.

Barring anything unforeseen, things should really get popping this weekend on the painting stay tuned!

I spent pretty much all evening till the wee hours of the morning working and got a pretty fair amount done.

The first thing to work out was the main lighting, so I put in the background sunset. After that I started putting in the light reflection on the big guy.

Then I filled in his bones and put light and shadows on them. Since this is the ending of the sunset, right when the twilight begins to set in, there is a bit of blue purple in the sky. I put a tinge of blue on the outer edges of Zombzilla's upper body as a cast reflection from the twilight, and also to help him stand out more.

After that I started to add more light and shadow to his scale texture, and cast shadows from the "fins" on his back.

It was time to work on that sign...

I wanted realistic little details, so I researched signs and got an approximation of how this sign might have been built, and where the wires would go etc. I love little details like that, things people probably won't notice but adds depth and realism to the world I am working on. Notice the "S" on the sign breaking off? If you look close you can see a discolored S shaped area of paint on the sign where it once hung, and rusted broken screws that held it on.

Next was the front of the tiki joint, and the ground area. I wanted a ginormous ominous shadow coming from Zombzilla overshadowing the ladies. I still need to work out some of the rock flagstones as they get a little lost.

Originally I intended to put both of Zombzilla's feet behind the hedge in the back, but I like the idea better of one going forwards and squashing part of the hedge and dining area, so I will be putting in a creepy half skeletal foot in there.

After adding some sunset high lights to the skin on the girls I quit for the nig... er... umm morning.

It's getting there I am in a mad rush to get it done for the show, but I think I'll make it.

Hiltiki: Sounds like your an early riser. Thanks for the comments on torn apart Zombzilla... just wait he is going to get even more gross looking.

Littlegiles: I am probably going to stick with barefoot; I figure she has experience with what is going on and wisely removed her employee shoes for running...she may be the only survivor. Before removing them, I am sure they were probably high heels though.

Cy: Why thank you kindly sir! There is always great stuff coming from Cy studios as well, I may not comment often, but I avidly follow your carving post.

Wendy: The tiger always has creative energy...sometimes too much! It's finding the bodily energy to match that is the problem. One thing that has been helping lately, and I know sounds utterly odd, is coconut oil. A teaspoon each morning is almost as good as a cuppa joe.

I got more done last night but was too exhausted to come in and post at around 6 am. So here we go...

As you may remember this is about where we left off with the main central figure last time...

My enthusiasm was beginning to flag on the project, when that happens I decide on just one part that I really have enthusiasm to work on and concentrate on that. This time it was the central figure (at this point I am not sure if she is African American, or Pacific Islander...black or Tahitian/Samoan could be either I suppose). I have never really done any detailed paintings of darker skin tones, and am finding them quite a challenge particularly in this painting because I chose to have all of the women overshadowed by Zombzilla's cast shadow from the sunset. This means that the immediate background behind the central figure is very close in tone to the figure itself and she was getting a little lost. I had to do some light reflective "fudging" to get some high lights in there to make her pop back out again. It was also time to tackle all those savory looking refreshments on her tray, as well as the tray itself.

First thing to do was lay down some basic colors. The "head" mug is loosely based on one of the mugs in Book of Tiki, but I forget the exact page.

Then I worked on the eyes and refining some details a bit before I really plunged in. Notice the nose at this stage, it's pretty indefinite so I wanted to correct that.

Fixed the nose, added more shadow to her hand. After some research I decided that Sarong was not looking quite right, and changed the tied "tail" part of it to have some movement.

Some reflection in the eyes and lips... ahhh now THAT is a face of TERROR!

Those drinks gave me no end of problems, especially the glass one on the left. The reflections still are not quite right I may work on that a bit more. I think there is too much bright reflection on one side... or something... hmmm

I decided not to do the orchid in her hair till I researched them a bit more, so that is about where I stopped for now.

Thank you for flying Zombzilla airlines, we hope your trip was an enjoyable one and you will choose to fly with us again.